The Senator representing Southern Borno senatorial district in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has berated Mr. Daniel Bwala, a former critic of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for accusing him of planning against him, saying the latter’s tactic was to curry favour from President Bola Tinubu.
Our correspondent reports that Bwala, a Lawyer cum politician was a spokesman of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign in the 2023 elections, but has recently pitched his tent with President Tinubu.
Bwala had taken on Senator Ndume at different fora after the lawmaker granted an interview on AriseNews, where he expressed worry over the high cost of living and insecurity under the present administration.
The interview did not go down well with the Presidency, APC National Working Committee (NWC) and the Senate caucus, a development that led to the removal of Ndume as Senate Chief Whip.
Bwala had tweeted on his X handle last Friday, alleging that Ndume was planning to mobilise youths in his (Bwala’s) local government area of Hawul in Borno State to attack him. Hawul is one of the LGAs under Senator Ndume’s senatorial district.
But, reacting to the allegation while speaking to journalists at his Maiduguri residence on Saturday, Senator Ndume said it was unfortunate that Bwala claims to be an indigene of Hawul, but cannot even trace his actual roots, not to talk of the people in Hawul.
He also said that even on the interview he granted on Arise News TV, he did not accuse or insult President Tinubu, but only criticised some policies of the present administration which are counter productive to average Nigerians.
He said: “Ordinarily, I do not want to join issue or wouldn’t have replied Mr. Bwala who claimed to be from Hawul local government area, which is part of my constituency.
“I can describe Daniel Bwala as a failed Lawyer and empty drum making noise in Abuja. As I said, I did not want to respond, but because Bwala talked about threats or that I am mobilising youths to attack him, which has security implications and is very sensitive. I believe Bwala’s strategy is how to get the attention and sympathy of Mr. President to give him police cover and may be a job.
“We have credible people in Hawul local government area, and they know who Daniel Bwala is. In fact when I saw that his message on X handle, I thought it was Inuwa Bwala, who was the former Caretaker Chairman of Hawul and a renowned journalist. I quickly drew his attention to it, which he said, he was not the one.
“Later, I was made to understand that it is Daniel Bwala who has no political relevance as far as Southern Borno is concerned. Infact, I replied his post and said, if accusing and abusing me on Twitter or pages of Newspapers would fetch him something from Tinubu to survive after being a failed lawyer in Abuja, I will be happy for him.
“We have three former deputy Governors from Hawul, and all of them are my ardent supporters and people I take in high esteem throughout my political sojourn. Bwala wants to portray the peace loving youths as violent people. You can’t instigate Hawul people to go into political violence, because it is not in their character. All I can say is that Bwala is trying to get sympathy from Mr. President.
“The only advice I can give President Tinubu is that, politically Daniel Bwala is just a mad dog who barks and bites even the owner, and so, Tinubu should be careful with the likes of Bwala as a mad dog.
“Bwala was once a member of the APC, but later ran away shamelessly and joined former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, where he started accusing Tinubu with all sorts of abusive and insulting words on live televisions. Bwala can only be useful in attacking people, but 2027 general elections is coming, all I can advise is for Bwala to come to Borno and trace his root,” Ndume stated.
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